Clematis plant named ‘Evipo057’

ABSTRACT

A new  Clematis  plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, white and pink flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation in commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

Botanical classification:

Genus: Clematis.

Species: viticella.

Variety denomination: ‘Evipo057’.

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematis plant which originated from a controlled crossing between the female seed parent, an un-named seedling, and the male pollen parent, an un-named seedling. Both parent varieties are non-patented.

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 2003 and the resulting seeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment in Guernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom. The new variety named ‘Evipo057’ originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parent and male pollen parent by the following characteristics. The female seed parent has white flowers while the new variety has white flowers with a pink central bar. The male pollen parent has pure white flowers.

The objective of the hybridization of this clematis plant was to create a new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualities such as:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant white and pink flowers;     -   2. Vigorous and compact growth, making the variety suitable for         container culture; and     -   3. Improved disease resistance.

This combination of qualities was lacking in clematis plants that were in commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantially achieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo057’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in their clematis development program in the Channel Islands, United Kingdom in 2004. Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo057’ by means of vegetative stem cuttings and traditional layering was first performed by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summer of 2004. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations have demonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo057’ are true to type and are transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustration shows as true as is reasonably possible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typical characteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo057’. Specifically illustrated in the drawing are flowers at various stages of development, flower in parts, leaves, and stems bearing clusters of flower buds. Plants shown are 2 years of age.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo057’, as observed in its growth throughout the flowering period in Yamhill County Oreg. Observed plants were cultivated for a period of 24 months in 2 liter containers. Certain phenotypical characteristics of the variety may vary under different environmental, cultural, agronomic, seasonal, and climatic conditions. Color references are made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except where common terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the clematis variety ‘Poulala’ described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,990 are compared to ‘Evipo057’in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Evipo057’ ‘Poulala’ Flower diameter 125 mm 130 mm Tepal upper White Group N155B Yellow Group 10D surface after with a central bar opening color of Red-Purple Group 70A to Red- Purple Group 70B Tepal count 8 6 to 8

FLOWER AND FLOWER BUD

-   Blooming habit: Continuous. The natural flowering period is     generally from April to September. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—Normally 45 mm in length. Bud diameter is 16 mm.         -   Bud form.—Elliptic.         -   Bud color.—Yellow-Green Group 144C.         -   Texture.—Pubescent. -   Peduncle:     -   -   Surface texture.—Pubescent.         -   Length.—On average 50 mm.         -   Diameter.—3 mm.         -   Color.—Yellow-Green Group 144A.         -   Strength.—Moderately strong. -   Receptacle:     -   -   Surface texture.—Lightly pubescent.         -   Shape.—Broad funnel.         -   Size.—1 mm (h)×4 mm (w).         -   Color.—Yellow-Green Group. -   Flower arrangement:     -   -   Location on vine.—New and old growth.         -   Borne.—In clusters of 5 to 13 flowers on a flowering branch.         -   Attitude on vine.—Upward and outward. -   Flower bloom:     -   -   Size.—About 125 mm in diameter and 25 mm in depth.         -   Profile.—Open flowers are slightly cupped.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Lasting quality.—Flowers normally remain up to 10 days on             the plant. -   Tepals:     -   -   Tepal color.—The upper surface is White Group N155B with a             central bar color of Red-Purple Group 70A to Red-Purple             Group 70B. The lower surface is White Group N155B with a             central bar color of Yellow-Green Group 145C.         -   Quantity.—Normally 8 tepals.         -   Size.—60 mm in length by 35 mm wide.         -   Shape.—Individual tepal shape is elliptic. The tepal apex is             acuminate. The base is acute.         -   Apex recurvature.—None to slight.         -   Tepal cross section.—Flat.         -   Margins.—Entire. Strong undulations.         -   Persistence.—Tepals drop off cleanly.         -   Arrangement.—Overlapping. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Arrangement.—Open.         -   Pollen.—None observed.         -   Anthers.—Size: 5 mm in length. Color: Greyed-Orange Group             164D and Greyed-Orange Group 165A. Quantity: On average, 55.         -   Filaments.—Color: Green-White Group 157A. Length: 10 mm.         -   Pistils.—Quantity: On average, 30.         -   Styles.—Color: Green-White Group 157A. Length: 8 mm.

PLANT

-   Plant form: Climbing. -   Plant growth: Moderately vigorous. -   Size: Seasons growth attains 50 to 65 cm in height. Average spread     is 50 cm. -   Stems:     -   -   Color.—Juvenile stems are Yellow-Green Group 144b. Mature             stems are Greyed-Orange Group 166B.         -   Internodes.—On average, 8 cm between nodes.         -   Length.—Normally 25 cm from the base of the plant to the             flowering portion of the stem.         -   Diameter.—Normally 2 mm.         -   Texture.—Mature stems are ribbed, and lightly pubescent. -   Plant foliage:     -   -   Leaf characteristics.—Deciduous.         -   Arrangement.—Trifoliate.         -   Leaf size.—Compound leaves are normally 160 mm (l)×120 mm             (w). Leaflets are normally 55 mm (l)×30 mm (w).         -   Abundance.—On average leaves per 10 cm of stem.         -   Leaf color.—Juvenile upper Yellow-Green Group N144A.             Juvenile lower Yellow-Green Group 144C. Mature upper             Yellow-Green Group 146A. Mature lower Yellow-Green Group             146B.         -   Stipules.—Absent.         -   Petioles.—Size: Normally 70 mm in length by about 2 mm             diameter. Texture: Smooth. Color: Yellow-Green Group 145A.         -   Petioloule.—Size: Normally 20 mm in length by 1 mm diameter.             Texture: Lightly pubescent. Color: Yellow-Green Group 147A             with Greyed-Purple Group 183B on juvenile leaves.         -   Leaflet shape.—Generally elliptic. The base is rounded. The             apex is acute.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Surface.—The upper and lower surfaces are smooth.         -   Thickness.—Average.         -   Glossiness.—Not glossy. -   Disease resistance: Subject to any disease that normally attacks the     species. However the variety is more tolerant to clematis wilt,     Ascochyta clematidina, than some clematis known to the inventors. -   Cold hardiness: The variety is tolerant to USDA Hardiness Zone 6. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named ‘Evipo057’, substantially as described and illustrated, due to its abundant white and pink flowers with good keepability, attractive long lasting foliage and compact growth, year round flowering under glasshouse conditions, suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots, durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitable for distribution in the floral industry. 